You have something to sell, now what? Of course you want to tell the world. How? Advertising can be expensive but then again not to advertise is even more expensive. So let me help. Here are 5 tips to help you navigate the advertising jungle.
1. Are people looking for what you are selling? Can you deliver your message in 8 words or less? If your answer is yes to both, put up a big intrusive sign. Nothing will give you a bigger return on investment than maximizing your exterior signage. But know this. A high-visibility location for your business is usually the least expensive advertising you can buy. But don’t be fooled , high traffic doesn’t mean high-visibilty. You may want to move your location of business to a landmark where passers are many and would never miss your message.
2. The Print of the day is of course the Internet. Electronic print on demand, change at will, instantly updated and always current and relevant. Internet websites, blogs, and even some social sites have effectively replaced the newspaper, telephone book, encyclopedia and little by little replacing the bookstores. The saving grace to bookstores seems to be the coffee in the corner. Slash your yellow pages budget and get serious about your web presence. And do not forget your mobile site after all it is 2012.
3. Television ads. To think of the internet as electronic media like television and radio is a big mistake Streaming video, of which I am a fan, as popularized by YouTube do not replace television. Let me explain. Television was once passive. Networks could force us to watch sales pitches but no longer. The decreasing effectiveness of television commercials isn’t the internet, but the DVR. So the Internet is not television and television is not what television used to be.
4. Texting. Mobile marketing is used by a great many marketers. Once you capture the data you can communicate your message with an easy to use call of action. But texting while driving is dangerous. And many will never opt in or even read without deleting your message. Texting is a great way to communicate specials to your current customers. We’ve created many campaigns with one form of media leading the consumer to respond via a text. It is easy and easily measured for effectiveness.
5. Radio. Intrusive and there is nothing quite like the Theater of the Mind. With the right messaging advertisers can still experience the power of the radio ringing their phone.
